Automatic loader



Sept. 25, 1934. sou 1,974,668

\ AUTOMATIC LOADER Filed Dec. 21. 1931 s Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3.

. INVE'NTOR: GEORGE M. SOUTER.

ATTORNEY Sept. 25, 1934.

G. SOUTER AUTOMATIC LOADER Filed Dec. 21. 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 amm -INVENTOR;

GEORGE M. SOUTER BY 7 ATTORNEY.

l atented Sept. 25,

George M. Souter, Burlingame, Calif.

Application December 21, 1931, Serial No. 582,191

4 Claims.

,This invention relates to improvements in automatic loaders and moreparticularly to road making machinery. r l

The principal object of the invention is to pro- ;vide a travelingloader for elevating loose material such asscarified or plowed ground.

Another object is to provide an attachment for vehicles that willautomatically load the vehicle as it progresses, without the applicationof any power other than the progress of the vehicle.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description progresses.

In this specification and the accompanying drawings the invention isdisclosed in its preferred form. It isto be understood, however, that itis not limited to this form because it may be embodiedin other formswithout departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in theclaims following the description.

a In the three sheets of drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a side delivery loader and scarifier builtin accordance with this invention and adapted to' be drawn by a tractor.

Fig. .2 is an enlarged detail in side elevation of the digging andelevating buckets on the lower end of the loader, some of the bucketsbeing shown in vertical section, better to show their construction andoperation.

Fig. 3 is a detail in plan of one of the buckets, showing the bucketchains in horizontal section on the line III--III, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail similar to Fig. 2, in rear elevation, as indicated bythe arrow IV.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, of a modified form of the invention,in which a pair of loaders are mounted upon opposite sides of a traileror drawings, referring to Figs. 1-2, comprises a ve- .1 a rigidstructure.

hicle of any suitable type such as shown in Fig. 1, having the rearwheels 1 and the front caster wheel 2 mounted on the frame 3. The frontwheel is mounted on a turntable 4, to permit a short turning radius. Thedraft bar and coupling 5 are attached to the turntable for theattachment of the tractor. The rear end of the frame is fixed to thecross axle 6 of the rear wheels.

The swing frame of the loader comprises two lower beams '7 pivoted onthe axle 6 and properly cross connected and braced. The overhead beams 8are supported on the standards 910, all cross connected and properlybraced to form The front is raised, lowered and supported by thehydraulic hoist having the ram 11 pivoted to the vehicle frame at 12 andhaving the piston rod 13 pivoted at 14 to the loader frame. Water or oilunder pressure is introduced into the hoist at 15 from a pump mountedupon the tractor, not shown.

The transverse conveyor 16 is driven by the drum 1'7 on the shaft 18which is journaled in the bearing boxes 1920 on the standards 9-lil,respectively. A drum similar to 17 is mounted on the opposite end of theconveyor frame, not shown, which extends beyond the side of the trailerto deposit the dirt in a wagon or at the road side.

The shaft 18 is driven bythe pinion 21 enmeshed with the bevel gear 22fixed on a transverse shaft suitably mounted on the loader frame. Thisgear 22 is driven by a sprocket 23 thereon and engaging the sprocketchain 24 encircling the drive sprocket 25 fixed to one of the wheels 1.This wheel may be provided with grousers on its rim to insure thenecessary traction to drive the draper 16.

The elevating mechanism comprises the lower drum 26 mounted on a shaftbetween the beams 7 of the swing frame and the spaceddrums 27-28 mountedon the upper beams 8 of the swing frame. These drums are all idlers withsmooth peripheries.

The elevator comprises a pair of chains 29-30, see Figs. 24. The linksof the chains are arcuate, with the same radius as the drum ends, theperipheries of which they snugly fit. The spades 31 are arcuately curvedthroughout their length and are rigidly fixed between each pair of linksin the chains 2930. Each spade is provided with a digging bit 32 acrossits width to thicken its lip. The bucket lips are arcuate to improvetheir penetrating or spading quality when they strike the ground, as at31a.

The conventional searifier 33 is mounted upon the front end of the swingframe and is adapted to loosen up the ground ahead of the spades 31 tofacilitate their penetration and loading. In working loose or plowedground the scarifier may be omitted.

The invention operates substantially as follows: When the vehicle movesforward the hoist is actuated to lower the swing frame on its pivot 6until the scarifier 33 loosens the ground to the desired depth. Thecurved spades 31 successively engaging and penetrating the loosenedearth cause the whole chain of spades to automatically revolve aroundthe drums 2627-28. The curvature of the spades is such that theircombined lateral and rotary movement causes the spades to slide into theground without materially displacing the surrounding material until thespades have penetrated to the desired extent. The spade 31b penetratingfor about half of its length retains the loose ground when it begins tolevel out as at 310. This spade full is retained by the thickness of thebit 32 across the lip of the bucket until it reaches the level 31d.Without these thickened edges at 32, the loose earth would tend to flowout of the spades. If the flow is arrested at the plane of the spadeends by the bits 32, the loose particles of earth pyramid upon eachother and stop the flow until the critical angle of the spade is passed.The spades traveling upward elevate the load until they reach the drum27, at which point the spades tilt forward, spilling the dirt onto thecenter portion 2'7 of the drum, from whence it falls upon the travelingconveyor 16 and is discharged at the side of the machine The hoistmechanism 11 can be operated to raise and lower the spades at will tohandle more or less dirt as occasion requires and to lift the spadesclear of the road for transportation.

A modification of the loader is shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In the modifiedform two sets of spades A-B are mounted upon opposite sides of a tiltingtruck bed C. These spade mechanisms are substantially the same aspreviously described, except that they are fixed to the sides of aconventional tilting truck bed C and are raised and lowered by theraising and lowering mechanism of the truck bed for clearance duringtransportation.

The chain of spades each discharge into their respective chuteslibs-46mm, down which the dirt gravitates into the truck bed C.Characteristic parts of the modified loader are identified by the samedesignating characters hereinbefore used, with the addition of X, toindicate the equivalent parts.

Having thus described this invention what is claimed and desired tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a vehicle arranged to be moved with respect tomaterial to be loaded; a loader including a drum on said vehicle injuxtaposition to said material; a chain of spades passing around saiddrum and driven by engagement with said material; said spades being socurved longitudinally that the combined longitudinal and rotary movementof said drum causes the spades to penetrate without displacing saidmaterial until the spades assume a substantially perpendicular positionwith respect to the material before moving upward therefrom.

3. In combination with a vehicle arranged to be moved with respect tomaterial to be loaded; a loader including a drum on said vehicle injuxtaposition to said material; a chain of spades passing around saiddrum and driven by engagement with said material; said spades beingcurved longitudinally and having thickened lips extending above theconcave plane of the spades and adapted topenetrate without displacingsaid material until the spades assume a substantially 105 perpendicularposition with respect to the material before moving upward and elevatingthe adjacent material.

4. In combination with a vehicle arranged to be moved with respect tomaterial to be loaded; a loader including a drum on said vehicle injuxtaposition to said material; a chain of spades passing around saiddrum and driven by engagement with said material; said spades beingcurved longitudinally and having arcuate lips with 11.5 bits thereonextending above the concave plane of said spades and adapted topenetrate without displacing said material until the spades assume asubstantially perpendicular position with respect thereto before movingupward and displac- 1 20 ing and elevating the adjacent material.

GEORGE M. SOUTER.

